Police: Suspects rob high-school vending machines at gunpoint

OLYMPIA, Wash. -- Three people were arrested Tuesday for repeatedly burglarizing Olympia High School's vending machines over the course of five or six nights, according to the Olympia Police Department. It was a crime that apparently required knives, masks and (probably fake) guns to successfully pull off.

According to police, staff arrived at work Monday to discover someone had damaged the school's vending machines. A review of surveillance video showed three people in masks and armed with guns, including an assault-rifle-type weapon, breaking into the school on each of the past five or six nights.

The suspects stole merchandise from the school store and money, food and drinks from the vending machines, according to police.

An officer staking out the school Tuesday reportedly spotted three people with knives trying to break into classrooms. The area was quickly surrounded by officers from the Olympia, Tumwater and Lacey police departments and the Thurston County Sheriff's Office.

According to police, two suspects surrendered immediately, but the third attempted to run off. The third suspect was found and arrested with the help of a police dog.

The arrested suspects are believed to be responsible for all the burglaries at the school. It also appears the guns used in the burglaries were fake, according to police.

Two suspects were booked into Thurston County Jail for investigation of burglary. The third suspect was booked into Thurston County Juvenile Detention for investigation of burglary.